The Dog and the Dark Witch
by Hyperopia
Summary: My ambitious attempt at a Bellatrix fic, there may be romance along the way, I have a plan (Bella \ Harry pairing) This is my second fic and I own nothing. it's set around the time of Harry's prophecy and i have taken a few liberties with character ages, I hope you like it, and if you haven't please check out my first story, shameless plugging, sorry ;o)
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note : this is a taster for my new fic, I hope you like it, I own nothing, there is swearing and stuff._

 **The Dog and the Dark Witch**

 **Chapter One**

The sea crashed angrily against sharp, unforgiving rocks, a sheer cliff face rose up towards the stormy sky, short tufty grass grew all along the cliff top, perfectly adapted to withstand the bite of the sea air and the constant wind and rain. At the cliff's peak, a tall tree stood defiant, gnarled and blackened, presumably struck by lightning during its long life, it was the only landmark on this barren stretch of coastline.

A storm was brewing on the horizon, dark clouds were rolling in from all sides, a sheen of grey against the fading light heralded the beginning of the oncoming deluge, flashes of lightning lit up the sky and an ominous roll of thunder rumbled out over the waves. The bruised, purple clouds sucked away the remaining light, the world was plunged into an artificial twilight, the storm, riding on a fierce wind approached the shore, the rain hissed on the surface of the sea before being drowned out by the waves breaking on the rocks.

Forks of lightning arced between the clouds, the thunder was deafening, the force of the sound shook the earth. The tree stood unmoved by the wind and the rain, lit white like bone in nature's impressive light show, at the base of the trunk where the shadows were at their darkest, there was a movement, a darker shadow, the sound of a struck match and the accompanying flare of burning sulphur, once extinguished, left behind the glowing red embers of the tip of a cigarette, acrid blue smoke drifted up to the heavens.

The shadowy figure seemed completely unperturbed by the never ending cascade of water from above, when the sky was ignited by electricity, an observer would be convinced that the water was avoiding the area in which the figure resided all together. There was no sense of urgency about them, occasionally a pair of eyes caught in the light of the lit cigarette, could be seen looking left and right. A deep inhalation and the red ember glowed with renewed life, followed by a slow exhale like a pleasurable sigh. As the act of smoking reached its conclusion the shape flicked the stub away, a tiny glow of red tumbled end over end before landing on the sodden ground to be snuffed out by the downpour.

A second figure appeared as if born from the darkness, a massive roll of thunder cracked as if some gigantic ancient beast was announcing their arrival, they strode purposefully to the base of the tree and into the protective dryness surrounding the squatting figure.

"You picked a nice night for it, I'm soaked to the bone and I've only just got here"

The squat figure let out a throaty chuckle, the arrival of their companion hadn't fazed them in the slightest, they hadn't even looked in the direction of the newcomer.

"I like a good storm, have you forgotten you can use magic? Dry yourself off and quit complaining, it's perfectly warm and dry in here" arms gesture to the immediate area surrounding them.

The voice muttered some words, possibly insulting the crouched figure, more likely casting some spell as instructed. Shifting into a more elevated position, rocking slightly on their haunches, back pressed against the tree trunk for support, the first figure extracted a rather crumpled packet of cigarettes from some hidden pocket. The path of the cigarette from the packet to the owners mouth was interrupted by a request for one, the journey continued until clamped between lips, a match flared, the tip glowed bright and it's removed and passed upwards, the second figure took it with a grunt of thanks, the owner looked in dismay at the final cigarette in the pack, it's removed and ignited, the now empty packet was crushed and stowed away again.

The second figure, still standing rigid, relaxed a touch and leaned against the tree, radiating impatience, the cigarette was smoked at speed and with just under half of it left, it was cast out into the wet, rendering it unsalvageable, a strangled cry from near the ground and much coughing, a voice rasped angrily at the waste. The standing party shrugged their shoulders, an action almost imperceptible in the darkness.

"It's a disgusting habit really, it makes you reek of it, good for settling the nerves in the absence of a strong drink, I suppose"

"I would have finished it, this is my last one" he held it out like a precious trinket before placing it back between ready lips and sucking on it greedily.

"Why are we even here?"

"To talk"

"Well don't let me stop you"

The crouching shadow stood and stretched aching legs, having successfully shaken off the fatigue the pacing ceased, the figure turned on the spot and walked back to lean against the tree next to their companion. As they stood side by side the first figure was noticeably taller, standing a good head taller than the other.

"We have Sybil Trelawny's prophecy"

"So do we"

"Not all of it, according to Dumbledore"

"Shit"

"I'm surprised I was able to tell you that much"

"There are two births due at the end of July"

"We know this as well, I suppose the spell allows us to talk about shared knowledge"

"The Dark Lord has made his choice, I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do, I tried"

A sombre silence descended upon the two, the storm continued to play out overhead.

"It's not your fault, we both thought he'd go after the pure-blood, it doesn't make sense"

"All is not lost, you are the obvious choice for secret keeper"

"That's the very reason I'm not the secret keeper"

"Then who?"

The shrug indicated an inability to answer that question, the other can only nod in acknowledgement, the solemnity of the situation weighed heavy on them both.

"What now?"

"I'll go back to the order, what about you?"

"I have to go and see Severus, he pulled me aside after the last meeting and asked me to"

"Why?"

"No idea, I guess I'll find out soon enough"

"I have a bad feeling about all of this, there is so much we don't understand, I'll be in touch if there is another opportunity to meet, be careful, don't do anything stupid and go getting yourself killed"

"I'll be fine, no one suspects a thing, they fear me"

They embraced like old friends and disappeared simultaneously.

(Scene Break)

Fog hugged the banks of a river, its grimy waters flowed sluggishly through an industrial part of town, at one time it was busy, prosperous, now it was dirty and derelict, a few factories had endured the hard times, but mostly it was used as a dumping ground, discarded shopping trolleys poked from beneath the brown water like strange silvery sea creatures, mattresses, old TVs, glass bottles and other urban detritus lined the old tow paths. Night had long fallen, somewhere in the dark a clock chimed midnight, the rows upon rows of bleak terraced houses lined the hill that gradually crept up and away from the toxic river.

Like the industrial area, the houses harked back to a better time, built to supply the workers with affordable living space, most had moved away once the good times had left, the factories stilled their machines and one by one closed their doors. Any residents remaining left before the crime rate rose, there were more boarded up windows than not, crude graffiti was daubed across every available surface, gardens were being reclaimed by the hardiest of plant life, nettles and thorny bushes fought a war for dominance.

A casual observer would assume the whole place deserted, there was no indications of human life, feral cats mewled, the sound harsh and the echo made it impossible to pinpoint the source, scurrying noises filled the silence, possibly rats, spawned unchecked, no cars were parked along the roads, no lights burned behind shut curtains. A few rows shy of the hill's crest, there was something, a dull flicker, too dim to be a light bulb, the casual observer wouldn't have seen it.

This house was inhabited, the glass was caked with grime, lace curtains yellowed with age were just visible, thick curtains, faded, recently pulled shut. The window frames were white once, peeling paint clung to rotting wood with desperate futility, the front door may have been a bold red colour, long faded to pink, the paint clung to the wood of the door with more success than it's glass paned fellows.

Inside, the entrance hall was small and dingy, a narrow staircase led upwards into blackness, books and newspapers lined the right hand wall, a door on the left was highlighted by whatever light source burnt behind it, lazy yellow light seeped through the cracks around the door.

The room was lit by several candles, some were guttering on the verge of extinguishing themselves, a fire had been burning, glowing red embers crackled towards death. Floor to ceiling bookshelves covered almost every bare inch of the walls, a dilapidated sofa seemed out of place next to the high backed armchair, though worn, the leather was of high quality, leaving just a small side table as the only other item of furniture.

The carpet appeared filthy, on closer inspection it's just hideously patterned, clashing colours twist and overlap. On the side table was a large pile of books, their covers cracked with age, two bottles of wine lay discarded at the foot of the table, a half full bottle sat beside a glass brimming with a dark red liquid, a pale hand, shaking slightly reached for the glass, after a moment a tiny slurping sound could be heard and the glass was replaced, less one mouthful.

The occupant of the chair glared at the clock as if waiting for something, the glow of the fire gave his face a haunted look, deep shadows ring each eye, they were bloodshot and puffy, his skin looked sallow and dirty, his hair hung in curtains, lank and greasy. He swayed slightly, even sitting down, the excessive consumption of alcohol was clearly affecting him, despite his dishevelled appearance, his eyes burned bright, sharp and inquisitive and showing no sign of alcoholic excess. His robes were black and crumpled as if they'd been slept in. He steepled his fingers across his chest and his eyes fluttered closed, after a few minutes he rubbed them vigorously as if they were causing him a degree of irritation, sighing loudly he reached for the glass on the table, the hand was much steadier this time around.

Back on the bank of the river, just under the cover of a bridge, a loud pop echoed in the quiet, a scavenging animal, larger than a cat, probably a fox, startled at the sound and ran for safety, a figure stepped out from the shadows and climbed up the grassy bank to better orientate themselves.

Creatively cursing all the while, a small section of chain link fence was blasted unceremoniously out of the way, the chain links hung limp, some clattered to the ground as the black robed figure swept through the break and instinctively sought out the shadows, they crossed the cracked concrete yard and strode purposefully in the direction of the rows of houses.

Progress was fast, unimpeded, the figure showed no sign of slowing, melting effortlessly from shadow to shadow and passing between the rows at each break, a cat jumped in front of them hissing it's displeasure, a sharp boot found it's mark and sent the creature howling into the darkness. Crossing the final street and passing between two rusted iron posts that once held a gate, the familiar sensation of walking through an invisible barrier made the hairs on the back of their neck stand up, a hand raised to strike the door was rendered impotent as it swung open of its own accord, looking left and right and seemingly satisfied to be alone the figure crossed the threshold into the dark hallway and the door closed quietly behind.

Confidently they stepped forward and grasped the handle on the door, it squeaked in protest as it turned, the door opened noiselessly inwards and they moved inside the dimly lit room.

"You're late" drawled a voice dripping with annoyance.

"You have my heartfelt apologies Sev, did I keep you from something important?"

"Only sleep"

"I had a few things of my own to be getting on with"

"The meeting with the mongrel, how did that go?"

"As well as can be expected, do you have any flea powder?"

"I'm so glad your sense of humour remains unaffected by the situation"

"Sorry Sev"

"Can you stay? Will anyone question your whereabouts?"

The tension in the room increased to unbearable levels for the unkempt man as he waited for a response, the traveller shed their long hooded cloak and flung it haphazardly into the corner, the tutting from the chair was ignored by the woman now fully revealed, thick black curls tumbled in controlled chaos around her shoulders, her eyes, black as night seemed to reflect the sombre mood, fingers with nails filed to sharpened points brushed stray curls from her face, her blood red lips were pressed tight into a thin line.

She cast an appraising eye over the man sitting in the chair, he looked unwell, deep purple rings around sunken eyes, she'd never seen him unshaved, but it looked like he hadn't touched a razor in many days, there was an unpleasant smell in the room, unnoticed until now, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the odour of stale sweat and alcohol.

"I'll stay unless I'm summoned" she spoke in a softer tone, his gratitude was palpable and he nodded his agreement "there is, however, one further condition, go and sort yourself out, wash, shave, and put on some fresh clothes, you stink"

She wasn't completely heartless, she understood feelings and how to display them at the appropriate time, it was a powerful tool for survival. There were very few places she could go and relax, it was a rare pleasure to shake off the façade and be herself. This was one such place, she supposed he was a friend, they shared a mutual respect for each other, and in her own way cared about his well being.

Severus didn't bother to argue, he bit back his ire at being ordered around in his home, but she was right, and after he may even feel slightly better, and then they would talk.

The living room door clicked shut and his footsteps faded as they climbed higher and higher, a few floorboard creaks allowed her to pinpoint his location upstairs. A shudder and groan of ancient pipes announced the arrival of water, How he could live in this grotty little hovel was beyond her, she thought twice before sitting on the threadbare couch, and elected to make it fit for purpose with a little wand work, pleased with the effort, she took the open bottle of wine from the table, sprawled out on the couch and thought back to how it all began.

(Scene Break)

She had no idea why he had chosen her to confide in, she wasn't exactly approachable, most people went out of their way to avoid her, they were both in their late teens and commanded respect among their Lord and his followers. She couldn't see what the Dark Lord saw in the man, she had, in her opinion, done so much more than he, successfully completing all of the tasks she was assigned with her own unique style, she never killed if she could help it, but left an impressive trail of destruction. He had heard accounts from others, even those with a steely disposition had recoiled in horror and disgust when faced with her victims.

She avoided him where possible but in this instance she had to seek the man out, her sister had been adamant that he would be able to help her and that his potion making skills were second to none, Narcissa had been correct much to her chagrin, Bellatrix had been convinced that they were having an affair, but she was dead wrong, she had used every trick except legilimancy to get her sister to confess her infidelity, in the end her sister had slapped her round the face and forced her clean conscience onto her, she apologised to very few people, this time the sting of pride was worth it.

It had not been a good day even though it had started out brilliantly, she had set out early and climbed up into the low lying hills a few hours walk from Black Manor, the weather had been mixed the last few days and thick fog covered the landscape, it swirled and parted as she passed through and slunk back in behind her once she'd moved on, she was attempting to hunt a pack of werewolves, she secretly hoped it would be Fenrir Greyback's pack.

By noon she had picked up a trail, it was not the quarry that she had hoped for, and to make matters worse the dull pain in her gut had become full blown cramps, and that could only mean one thing, she cursed the bad timing, simple spells sorted out most of the issues she'd face, but the pain wouldn't budge and she couldn't mask her scent, perhaps that would work to her advantage.

Picking up the trail and determining the most logical direction they would head was easy, Bella prided herself on being able to track creatures and if push came to shove she could survive in the wild, her best option was to leave the path and go cross country, it would slow her progress but hopefully make it harder for the wolves to lure her into an ambush.

She couldn't have been more wrong, the crack of a twig and a low rumbling growl was just enough to save her life, the sleek animal launched itself from the undergrowth, a cutting hex fired purely on instinct was enough to send it crashing to the ground, crimson stained grey fur and spattered onto the surrounding foliage. She barely regained her breath as the second attack came, the shield was enough to prevent a mauling but the beast hit her at speed and the momentum carried them over an incline, she gripped matted fur and clung on as they rolled end over end, she took the brunt of an impact against a rocky outcrop, it forced the air from her lungs leaving her gasping for breath, as the tumble ended, fortune was on her side as the final fall was broken by the wolf, she made a slashing movement with her wand cutting her assailant's throat, it gurgled a final breath.

She picked herself up and controlled her breathing, she watched the wolf regain it's human form, a woman lay naked before her covered in blood and dirt, a simple transfiguration dealt with the corpse. After brushing down her clothing she trekked back to the other wolf, it was alive, but only just, with each shallow breath a bit more blood trickled from the wound, the only option was to put it out of it's misery. She stamped hard on the man's neck, shuddering slightly as she felt and heard the snap of neck vertebrae.

She didn't have the energy to apparate back home, and despite her discomfort, wouldn't have done so even if she had been able, she couldn't take things for granted and if, Merlin forbid, she was ever without her wand she wanted to be as self sufficient as possible.

For the duration of the journey her magic had been out of control and she had been in pain, had she been unlucky and received a bite she thought being a feral werewolf would be preferable than having to deal with a constant kicking in the gut from mother nature. The final straw had come after she finally made it home, she managed to set fire to her bedroom, Narcissa had come in, she raised an eyebrow as she took in her sister's appearance, but said nothing as she calmed her down and repaired the damage, the blonde witch hastily scribbled an address on a piece of parchment and told her to go and see Severus Snape, it was not a request, how her sister was able to read her without effort was a source of much amusement and annoyance to Bellatrix. She had her own ways of irritating her sibling, she shed her clothes and walked languidly towards the bathroom, leaving Narcissa ranting about dignity and how a lady should conduct herself.

The shower refreshed and revitalised her, the blonde witch had laid out fresh clothes, she dressed quickly and paused to admire herself in the mirror. A deft hand applied just the right amount of make up, in truth she already looked dangerous, finally satisfied, she collected her travelling cloak.

The indignity of having to go and see anyone about a matter so personal would have normally left her suffering in silence, but the risk of harming one of the few people she truly loved was enough incentive, so she had gone, she had stood in the rain outside his house for a good half hour before finally knocking, the amused look on his face when he saw his visitor did not sit well with her.

"Bellatrix, what an unexpected surprise, how may I be of service?"

"It's Madam Black, and I require a potion, my sister sent me"

"Ah, Narcissa, I hope she is well, I have a few items you can take back for her when we're done"

"My sister is fine, and I am not here to run pointless errands, now if we can skip the niceties, my time is valuable"

"Very well, please come in"

He stepped aside to allow the woman entry, she stood stiffly in the entrance hall, water pattered onto the carpet, she dried herself as he shut the front door and opened another into a dimly lit room. She wasn't offered a seat, he sat down in an elegant wing backed chair and looked at her over the tips of his fingers, an amused look still lingered on his face.

She had the feeling he was being deliberately dense as she vaguely hinted at the potion she so badly needed, her patience was fast running out, her knuckles went white as she gripped her wand tightly, she growled out her words through clenched teeth.

"For fuck's sake, I just need something for period pain, there, are you fucking happy now?"

He had actually laughed at her, she was shocked into inaction, on a normal day he would be begging for his life in a puddle of his own piss and shit. Seeing the look on her face and sensing danger, he had held up his hand and offered an explanation for his uncontrollable laughter

"The mighty Bellatrix Black, your reputation will no doubt become legend, I've heard the others sharing whispers of how you can take a sustained Cruciatus curse without so much as a whimper, I never would have imagined that something so trivial would have you coming to me for aid"

"Fuck you Snape, it's not the pain, I'm no stranger to that, it's the effect it has on my magic, so are you going to stop wasting my time and help me?"

As if to illustrate her point, the lamps lining the dingy room sparked into life and flared with foot high flames. In his moment of distraction, she raised her wand and pressed it's point hard against his cheek, anger flared in his dark eyes, he raised a hand to his face and pushed the length of wood aside.

"Narcissa owled me, I have already prepared your remedy"

The dark witch looked about ready to murder the man.

"My darling sister talks out of turn too much for her own good, you knew and still played games with me? I would happily snuff out your miserable existence and no one would even care"

"There would be severe repercussions for you and your family if you harmed me"

"I think I could live with it, you aren't the only one he favours, he would forgive me and the others are too afraid to speak out"

He stared unflinching into the woman's eyes and allowed a sneer to form on his lips, he spoke before any curse could be cast.

"It would be prudent not to push away a potential ally, you aren't as safe as you wish to believe"

She didn't frighten him in the least, this was incomprehensible, unless he was misguided enough to believe his friendship with Narcissa would protect him. She stared daggers at the greasy haired man, her wand arm twitched but she wasn't stupid, he had her thinking and she was curious to discover what he knew.

"Speak!"

"They do not like you Bellatrix, they despise how you have gained favour at such a young age, they do not trust you, they would do anything to unseat you, and all because you're a woman"

"What about Alecto?"

"She is only there because of her brother, therefore she isn't a threat, you are unpredictable and dangerous, should you fail, well, I don't care to imagine what would happen"

His words hung in the air, he was right, there was no denying it, what harm could come from talking to the man, once she was in possession of all the facts, then she could decide how to act.

"I'm listening"

"I want you to help me"

"How? Get to the point, I'm growing tired of your bullshit"

"Stay away from Godric's Hollow and Little Whinging"

"We have no plans to attack Godric's Hollow, and the magical community in Little Whinging is of no consequence, why and what's in it for me?"

"I'm not going to reveal all my cards just yet, I don't know if I can trust you yet"

"You are taking a risk right now, what makes you think I'll keep your secret?"

"As a show of good faith, I will provide you with your potions, no questions asked"

"If you think ridding me of pain is a worthy price, you're very much mistaken"

"Very well, in regards to your upcoming marriage to Monsieur Lestrange, I hear you aren't best pleased at the prospect of this union"

"It hasn't been announced yet, Narcissa needs to learn to keep her mouth shut, I will perform my duty as a Black and fulfil the wishes of our Lord"

"Perhaps, but I think you'll be grateful of my help, I know the family and I warn you, Rodolphus likes to break his women, he's no where near as sadistic or brutal as Rabastan, you will be quite the catch, and you will tow the line one way or another, and that would be such a waste"

He reached into his robes and removed a tiny vial, it looked empty, the faintest glints of silver caught the light and as she stared at the contents the solution became more visible, it pulsed between its colours as if it wasn't really there, she'd never seen anything like it.

"What is that?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her anger

"It's a concoction of my own design, providing you can administer this to your husband once a week, he'll never lay a hand on you, believing instead that you are every bit the loving and doting wife, it's untraceable, and his memories would pass even the most skilled Occlumens' scrutiny, I shall keep you stocked, what do you say?"

It was almost too good to be true, he didn't resist as she skilfully entered his mind searching for deception, she found none, the deal was made and he placed the potion in her hand. Before she departed her initial request was granted, she drank the potion in one go and tossed the empty bottle at him, he caught it with the skill of a seeker. He was surprised when she suggested performing the unbreakable vow to safeguard each other. They shared a drink and he spoke briefly about his love for a muggleborn witch called Lily Evans. They had forged an unlikely friendship and decided that in the presence of others they would maintain an air of hostility, it was safer that way.

(Scene Break)

Snape re-entered the room and sighed heavily at the sight before him, Bella was swigging wine from the bottle and despite her usual attire of full skirts and corset her seating position was less than ladylike. As he passed her on the way to his chair he slapped her leg, she spluttered and coughed on her mouthful of wine at the shock, she sat up and glared at him with streaming eyes, after wiping her mouth with her hand and drying her eyes she threw a few choice expletives at him punctuated with a raised middle finger, Severus barely raised an eyebrow in response.

"I'm not sure why you wanted me to come here tonight, I can't change his mind, he believes the prophecy points to the Potters, I was surprised he chose a half-blood over the pure-blood"

"You're the only person who knows about Lily, I was convinced he'd go after the Longbottoms, I'm going to see Dumbledore"

"Sev, are you out of your mind? Why would he even entertain the idea of helping you?"

"I can give him information, he can try and hide them"

"He already is hiding them, Sirius told me, he couldn't say who the secret keeper is, but it's not him"

"How did the order find out he'd chosen the Potters?"

The witch sat forward and offered the remains of the bottle, he took it from her and drank, he set the bottle on table, only then did he see the smile on the woman's face.

"After the meeting I owled Sirius anonymously, he never mentioned it, maybe he couldn't"

She could see the gratitude on his face, tears flowed freely down his face and his body was shaking, he moved to stand.

"Don't even think about hugging me, we've been friends for a long time but I will hex you"

He sagged back into his chair and held up a hand in acknowledgement of the threat, no matter how idle it might have been. The sofa creaked as Bellatrix settled back, she hiked up her right leg and began methodically untying and unlacing her boot, she repeated the process with the left, she tucked her legs up and arranged her skirts.

"What now?"

"We wait, Sirius will contact me when he can, we might get lucky"

"I meant now"

"Well, you are going to get some sleep, I need to sleep, it's been a long night, we can talk more in the morning, things might be clearer then, and if you are adamant about going to Dumbledore, I won't stop you and I'll cover for you if needs be."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N : Sorry the update has taken its time, it took a while for all of the salient points to fall into place, I hope you enjoy it. I just want to say hello to my new readers and welcome back those who liked my first effort and have come along for another adventure._

 _If you haven't checked out my first fic, please do (shameless plugging) and I do love hearing from you, so please review or message me if you like, I do my best to reply to everyone._

 **Chapter Two**

Sirius Black appeared suddenly and unnoticed in a paved courtyard. Houses ran round three sides, in the centre was an old tree, long dead, still imprisoned in a circle of rusted railings. Weeds poked tentatively through cracks in the flagstones but despite the flaws, most of the grandeur of the area remained, the houses were large and impressive, their owners wealthy, they were doctors, lawyers and bankers, all muggles.

He stood with his back to the tree, the slow drone of a car broke the silence. No longer obscured by the end of a house, it's headlights spilled yellow light into the space, it washed over the square and was gone in moments. The two buildings directly in front of him held his gaze, the sound of brick scraping on brick filled the air. The three towering stories of numbers 11 and 13 were sliding apart to reveal an identical looking house in the middle. The windows were grubby, the paint on the door was faded and peeling, tarnished brass numbers hung loosely from rusted screws, this house was number 12.

Sirius hated his family home, too many bad memories. His brother Regulus had died in the service of the Dark Lord, no one knew the circumstances, he didn't buy into their pure blood mania. He rebelled against everything that made him a Black, he was fascinated with muggles, befriended half-bloods and displayed absolutely no Slytherin traits, the final straw had been his sorting into Gryffindor house, they had disowned him and kicked him out. Ironically, as he was now the last living member of his branch of the Black family, he had inherited it the moment his parents died. In life, his mother and father were extremely paranoid, every type of protection spell and charm had been placed on the property, it was an ideal meeting place for the order.

He walked up to the door but couldn't bring himself to go inside, even if he made it down the hall without disturbing the portrait of his mother, the bloody awful house elf would appear spouting his usual bile. He had a bad feeling in his gut that he couldn't place, a feeling of dread and he trusted his instincts. He wasn't ready to face them or a barrage of questions he didn't have the answers for. When interrogating him about his clandestine meetings became boring, that's when all the snide comments started, mostly levelled at Bellatrix, before moving swiftly on to accusations about where his own loyalties lay. He could shrug off this petty bickering for the most part, but over time, in every meeting, it was starting to wear him down.

He swore under his breath, turned on his heel and strode off towards the city centre, he didn't have a clear destination in mind. Sirius walked fast and silently, he passed a few late night revellers, drunk and obnoxious, a faint jingle of a bell and a door shutting made him snap his head up at the sound. Bright light shone out from the window of a late night convenience store, he entered, the buzzing strip lights hurt his eyes after spending so long in the gloom.

As he browsed the shelves and rounded the corner a portly gentleman came into view, he looked tired, he grunted a greeting. Sirius slipped his hands into his pockets as he approached the counter and looked past the man at the neat and colourful rows of cigarettes. He requested two packets and the shopkeeper slowly heaved himself up off the chair to hand them down. As he eased himself back into his chair, his eyes glazed over, Sirius pocketed the cigarettes and left, instead of demanding payment, the shop owner just wished him a good night.

He stopped outside to spark up, he stripped the packet of its cellophane wrapping and deftly tapped the pack, making a single cigarette pop up. Clamping it between his lips he struck a match, sucked in a huge lungful of smoke and exhaled, he sighed with pleasure at the nicotine hit and continued to walk. Now that cigarettes had been procured, all that was missing was a drink. Soho wasn't too far, there were some good bars in that part of London, with a destination in mind his pace quickened.

The music was still in full swing, several different styles poured from open club doors, the streets were full of people, chatting, smoking, drinking, making out, dancing and singing, this was what he loved about venturing into muggle London, the noise and the people. Gaudy neon signs buzzed and flickered, fashioned into the names of the premises they adorned, a group of women out on a hen night walked towards him in a tight group, lascivious comments were aimed at him as he passed through, he smiled at them, their laughter was all in good spirits.

He headed straight for the Soho Tavern and pushed open the heavy doors, a haze of smoke filled the place, it was full of patrons but not overcrowded, he made his way to the bar and ordered a double shot of whiskey. Carefully he pulled a few crumpled notes out of his pocket and handed one to the barman, Sirius took his change and perched on a stool near the end of the bar.

Slowly sipping and savouring the drink he surveyed the room, most of the bar's inhabitants were male, the bawdy conversations contributed the most noise to the subdued din. He returned his focus back to his drink, as he sat lost in his own thoughts, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, as casually as he could he turned to face the room. No one seemed to be paying him the slightest bit of attention, he leaned back against the bar and idly swirled the contents of the drink around the glass, as he raised it to his lips he spotted a group of three women, they were huddled together talking animatedly, a pretty brunette caught his eye and smiled.

The woman was being jostled by her companions and after another intense huddled conversation an agreement seemed to have been reached, he couldn't help his curiosity and carried on looking at the group. This time when their eyes met he smiled back and to the obvious delight of her friends made her way over to his seat.

"Hi, my name's Emily" she held her hand out, he took it

"Sirius, pleased to meet you, can I buy you a drink?

"Very kind of you, I'll have a vodka and coke"

He pulled the adjacent stool closer and waved to the barman. They drank together and chatted easily, Sirius knew he wasn't bad looking, handsome in a rugged way, he was naturally scruffy, no matter how much he groomed himself, he always remained just a little rough around the edges. Her friends came over to inform her that they were leaving, knowing smirks were exchanged once it became clear that she wouldn't be leaving with them, they hugged their goodbyes.

As they knocked back drinks the chat became flirtatious, several times she touched his knee or arm, even going as far as stroking his beard, the bell rung, calling time, they finished their drinks and staggering slightly, left the bar.

"Can I walk you home?"

"Such a gentleman, how can I refuse an offer like that? I don't live far"

She took his offered arm, the uneven paving and killer heels slowed their pace to a crawl, it was warm, the breeze was nice, it wafted her perfume into his face, she smelt good. The walk didn't take long and Emily pointed out her house, it was a large, mid-terraced property, she climbed the short flight of stairs and as she pulled out her key she looked back at him.

"Would you like to come in for a night cap?"

He nodded and she smiled, it was the kind of smile that made his skin prickle, he couldn't recall the last time he'd been intimate with a woman. He climbed up the stairs and the door swung open, they stepped into the entrance hall, she disabled the alarm and shed her coat, he did the same and hung it on the newel post.

They stood facing each other, unsure of how to proceed, her chest rose and fell in a way that drew his eye, he got the impression that this wasn't a regular thing. As she awkwardly began to explain that she didn't make a habit of hooking up with strange men, Sirius let his instincts take over. He pushed his fingers through her hair and gently held her head and brought their lips together, she moaned as he deepened the kiss. Her fingers gripped his long hair as she kissed him back, he fumbled with her blouse buttons while she fought with his shirt.

She raked her nails over his taught stomach and up across his chest, she playfully pinched his nipples, he pulled her blouse off and threw it on the stairs, her breasts strained against the white lace of her bra, her nipples already engorged, he cupped her breasts with his hands and rubbed his thumbs over her sensitive peaks. She backed up and began to climb the stairs, he followed her lead, at the top her skirt fell to the floor, he tugged his belt open and abandoned his trousers.

She looked at the bulge in his shorts with approval, he looked at her with lust filled eyes, she reached behind her back and undid her bra clasp, he caught the garment purely on reflex, she stepped back towards the nearest door, her breasts bounced slightly with her movement, the door opened and the light was turned on, she stepped through the door and called his name.

Sirius' sexual conquests were a source of much amusement or annoyance, it largely depended on who you spoke to, Peter was always in awe of Sirius, Remus, usually just rolled his eyes and tutted, James found it funny, and Lily kept begging for him to settle down with a nice witch, Moody frequently voiced the opinion that his predilection for muggle women was a security risk. To him it was simple, there was a war coming and he may not survive, so his plan was to have fun now and if all went well, settle down after.

Standing in the doorway the sight before him caused him to pause, Emily lay on the bed twisting a lock of hair between her fingers, she smiled coquettishly up at him. He walked to the edge of the bed and caught her lips, she tugged his shorts down and gently stroked his hard length. As he removed her knickers she slid her hand between her thighs, she guided him down to the bed, he kissed her with renewed vigour, she easily matched him. Their tongues battled as their hands roamed over flushed and sensitive skin, one hand kneaded her breasts, her nails raked down his stomach causing all his muscles to twitch and spasm, she guided him into her, hot and wet, he thrust deep and she rolled her hips in time with his strokes. Their lovemaking was raw and energetic, alcohol had dulled his senses enough for him to perform admirably, she thrashed and moaned, he liked a woman who wasn't afraid to let go. As his muscles began to protest at the exertion he reached the precipice, she clung on to him as her own climax arrived.

Panting heavily and sweating he rolled off her, she exclaimed as he withdrew from her, she propped herself up on her elbow and watched the rise and fall of his chest. Once his breathing had returned to normal he got up and went into the en suite, the water ran for a few minutes after the toilet flushed. He paused in the doorway to tame his hair, wetting it helped, he picked his discarded shorts up and slipped them on. He stepped back out onto the landing and returned with his trousers.

"I was hoping you might spend the night, will you stay? Please!"

Sirius never stayed, it wasn't how he operated, the order would be expecting him to return, maybe they'd just assume he'd met a grisly at the hands of his demented cousin, he chuckled to himself and the woman on the bed looked affronted. He still felt angry and resentful towards the order members, he knew it was irrational but he did enjoy winding them up.

"Yes, I'd like that, it sure beats sleeping alone"

The bed creaked as he climbed in, Emily straddled him and offered kisses before alighting and heading to the bathroom. She switched off the main light on the return journey, with the curtains still open the moonlight made her skin glow with an ethereal quality, she slipped beneath the covers and wrapped herself around Sirius. It wasn't guilt that prevented him falling asleep, he had neglected his needs for far too long, so he lay there and listened as her breathing took on the rhythm of sleep. He enjoyed feeling her body against him, he breathed in her scent and allowed himself a little chuckle before closing his eyes and drifting off.

He woke early, the room was illuminated with the first light of the new day, he slipped quietly out from the warm covers, dressed and went to the window. The window looked out onto the back gardens of the terrace, mist swirled listlessly and clung to the hedgerows and shrubberies. Lost in thought he looked out over the gardens and houses but he didn't see anything, his trance was broken as a warm arm snaked its way around his middle, he flinched violently and she chuckled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, were you thinking of sneaking away while I slept?"

"I will have to head home soon"

"To your wife or girlfriend?"

He turned to look her in the eyes

"No! Nothing like that, I can't really explain"

"Will I see you again?"

"I don't think so, I would like to but I'm not sure I'll be able to"

"Oh" her voice sounded flat, disappointed even "Is it work related?"

"You could say that, I'm sorry, it wasn't my intent to upset you"

"Well if you can, you know where I am"

"Thank you for a great night Emily"

They stood and regarded each other critically, she felt that he was being genuine and for him there was no hurt or betrayal in her eyes. Unsure of what do do next he stood mute and unmoving, she closed the gap and kissed him, it was brief. She grabbed a robe from the wardrobe and wrapped it tightly around herself.

There was nothing left to say as he descended the stone steps and the door clicked shut, he ignored the urge to look back over his shoulder. He ducked into an alley and with a loud crack he vanished, the crack of his arrival in Grimmauld Place echoed around the square. Once number 12 had materialised he marched up to the door and stepped inside, the hallway was dark, he padded softly down to the kitchen, the door creaked open. Five people were congregated around the table, James and Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley and Alastor Moody. At the far side of the kitchen a plump red haired woman was bustling around the large stove, Molly Weasley wasn't happy unless she was busy, as he stepped into the room six pairs of eyes looked at him.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

"Alastor! There is no need for that language at the breakfast table"

The grizzled Auror acted as if she hadn't even spoken

"Albus was expecting you to report back after you'd met with her"

"There was nothing to report, she knows what we know and as Albus suspected, they don't have the full prophecy, I'm not sure I understand your anger Moody, you don't want to believe a word that comes out of her mouth anyway"

Moody stood up and marched over to Sirius, his teeth were slightly bared and anger flared in his dark eyes, he jabbed a finger sharply into the taller man's chest.

"Don't get smart with me you jumped up little shit, you have a job to do, your arrogance will get you killed, or more disturbingly, one of us killed"

"If she had wanted to screw us over she would have done it already"

Sirius was struggling to keep himself from shouting in the stubborn old bastard's face, Alastor's nostrils flared as he took a breath, the others in the room collectively held their breath.

"Would you like to know where I've been the last 2 days?" The dark haired wizard looked nonplussed as the Auror continued "While you were out getting your dick wet, I was in a muggle suburb" James caught his best friends eye, and he knew they'd heard this story, his stomach sank. "5 houses left in ruins, at least 6 people dead in the rubble, another 14 people, men women and children, won't ever be the same again, the Magical Reversal Squad can only modify a memory so much, as for the perpetrator, there were clear indications as to who was responsible, the fucked up bitch has a unique style"

"There is a war coming, if they ever suspected her loyalty was wavering she'd be finished, the body count would have been much higher if it had been anyone else"

"That's a weak justification even by your standards, get out of my way you flea bitten mongrel"

He roughly pushed past Sirius and stomped his way out of the kitchen, a shrill screaming started up in the hallway followed by a loud bang, after a few seconds there was a second bang, the unmistakeable sound of a door being slammed.

"Merlin's beard, if I'd have known that was waiting for me I would have stayed out longer"

"So, what was her name? Did you even get her name?"

Lily gave her husband a furious look, James looked at his best friend sheepishly and automatically ran his fingers through his untameable hair, they had hardly changed since their school days, Lily was heavily pregnant, due at any minute by all accounts, and he was to be godfather.

"Her name is Emily, not that it matters, I doubt I'll be able to see her again even if I wanted to, where's Peter?"

"Changing the subject so soon, I want to know what she's like"

"Lily, I don't think now is such a good time"

Sirius sat down heavily in the chair next to Arthur, Molly fussed over them and only sat down when everyone had a drink and a plate of food. They chatted about nothing in particular, the cases of muggle baiting were on the rise and the Department for the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts was getting snowed under. It seemed wrong to laugh and joke about harmless pranks when muggles were dying in a war they didn't ask for and didn't have a clue about, it was a way of coping with the horrors of it all.

Halfway through an anecdote about shrinking doorways, the kitchen door opened and a small chubby man entered, he had watery eyes, thinning hair and rodent like features, he was finishing off a greasy looking burger, the room greeted him and he gave them a nervous smile. The women groaned as three grown men regressed to adolescence and began mercilessly teasing their friend. Lily gave him a warm smile and pushed out the chair beside her, he sat down and gave her a weak smile. Peter had always been nervous and jumpy, being made the Potter's secret keeper had taken its toll, his skin hung loosely around his face, his eyes were dark and sunken, the stress on the man was evident.

When the prophecy came to light, Dumbledore had called them all together to break the news, Lily had cried for the safety of her unborn child, James' face was set hard, Sirius had been the most vocal, the rest had sat in silence with no idea what to say. Once everyone had calmed down, Albus took charge immediately and before he could even explain why Peter Pettigrew was the best choice for secret keeper, the rest of the order had to watch a very heated exchange between a hot headed and stubborn Sirius and the greatest wizard of the age.

Lily, ever the voice of reason, made the younger man see Albus' point of view, he was the obvious choice and that made him a target, no one in their right mind would consider them giving this task to Peter, she had given the small man an apologetic look, he didn't seem to mind, he knew his limitations. Dumbledore and McGonagall had performed all of the spells and rituals, even the whole Ministry of Magic couldn't have offered them better protection. Unfortunately, that wasn't saying much, the Order had suspected that the Ministry of Magic had been compromised for a long time, the depth of this infiltration had yet to be established.

The conversation around the table eventually turned to more sombre matters, their voices faded into the background as Sirius stared morosely down at the contents of his mug. He patted himself down and pulled out his cigarettes, he hadn't even opened the lid of the box before he was ushered out of the room, it wasn't like he planned on sparking up with a pregnant woman in the room. He gave the room a caddish grin and excused himself.

As he climbed the stairs the chatter was drowned out by the oppressive silence of the rest of the house, Kreacher exited the room he was heading for and with a look of utter contempt towards Sirius, tried to slink away, all the while complaining about blood traitors and half breed filth. The elf yelped in pain as his boot found it's target.

"You keep your foul opinions to yourself Kreacher"

"Of course Master, Kreacher lives to serve the ancient and most noble house of Black"

Sirius rolled his eyes, stepped into the room and slammed the door behind him. The lamps came to life and cast their warm glow over the whole room, a cigarette was taken from its packet, lit and enjoyed. This was the room he always came to when he wanted to smoke or get away from everyone else. In its day, this was easily the grandest room in the house, ornate lamps adorned the walls and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, coated in dust.

On the walls was a tapestry detailing his entire family lineage and all of the bloodlines connected to it through marriage. There were several charred areas, his mother enjoyed blasting disgraced family members from the mural. He stared dispassionately at the face of his mother and took a deep draw on his cigarette, the end glowed bright, he stubbed it out on her picture, it smouldered and dark smoke drifted lazily towards the ceiling. This was how he extinguished all of the cigarettes he smoked in here, after a few moments the burn mark had faded and the picture was as good as new.

Sirius crossed the room and opened the bureau, a half full bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey and a crystal tumbler stood next to a glass ashtray, a lighter and a few other bits and pieces, he removed the top of the bottle, it made a faint pop as it came free, he poured himself a generous measure.

He leant against the wall and swilled the contents of the glass around and around, sipping occasionally, his mind wandered to the prophecy, how could they be sure it meant James and Lily's child? Alice and Frank Longbottom's child was due about the same time, and who knew how many other magical babies would be born at that time all over the world. It's not that he didn't trust Dumbledore, there was a feeling he couldn't shake, and it told him that the old man knew more than he was letting on.

A tentative knock on the door roused him from his thoughts, he called out and bid them to enter, Peter stepped into the room looking nervous and wringing his hands.

"Sorry to disturb you Sirius, I just wanted to say goodbye, I'm heading home"

He downed the last of the drink and with a slight shudder, set the glass down and crossed the room, he smiled broadly and gave him a crushing hug.

"Take care Pete, constant vigilance! Seriously though, be careful out there, see you soon, no doubt there will be a meeting again soon"

The rodent faced man laughed at Sirius' impression of Alastor Moody, he reached up and patted his friend on the shoulder, then he turned on his heel and headed out. It was late, with all the talking and Molly's excellent cooking the time had passed effortlessly, Peter crossed the partially lit courtyard to seek out the shadows.

The building had just started to disappear when he apparated away, he could just about hear the scraping of brick on brick as the familiar squeezing sensation took hold. He staggered on landing, the gate swung and banged gently in the breeze, the house looked quite run down, the wooden fence surrounding the property was broken in many places, the bits that were painted had cracked and peeled. It had originally belonged to his grandmother, she had left it to her only grandson when she passed away.

Peter took out his wand and passed through the protections he had put in place, the path to the door was uneven, the plants had won that battle, he tapped the front door lock with his wand and it swung silently inwards. The interior was neat and tidy, he stood in a modest sized entrance hall with a stairway that led upstairs, it had three bedrooms and a bathroom. Downstairs had a large living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room. It sat on an acre of land, long neglected and overgrown.

He walked into the kitchen and collected the kettle from the stove, a poke with his wand caused the stove to light. Ageing pipes clattered and groaned before finally allowing the water to pour into the sink, he allowed it to run for a while before filling the kettle and placing it on the hob. The shrill whistle died away as the water dropped below boiling, he filled a cup and let the tea brew. Just as he was about to take a drink there was a loud knock on the front door, tea sloshed over the lip of the cup, he swore quietly under his breath and set the cup down.

Peter fumbled for his wand and gripped it tight in his pudgy hand, he wasn't expecting visitors, it couldn't be anyone from the Order, and he highly doubted it would be Dumbledore. He made it to the front door silently, he sucked in a steadying breath and called out.

"W-w-who's there?"

"It's me Barty, are you going to leave me standing out here?"

Relieved that it was just an unexpected visit from a friend, Peter Pettigrew hastily opened the door and invited him in. Barty Crouch Junior was a tall man, quite handsome with a shock of blonde hair, he had bright eyes and a smile that wasn't quite endearing, it was more like a sneer, his father was Bartemius Crouch, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he was tipped to be the next Minister of Magic. The son, even though he shared his name, couldn't have been more different from his father, he was rebellious and carefree.

They went through to the kitchen, the host pushed a mug of hot tea into the unresisting hand of his guest. They stood in silence, Barty drank his tea in an almost languid manner, Peter took rapid nervous sips, unable to take any more silence, when he spoke, his voice squeaked a little.

"I don't mean to be rude Barty, but why are you here, it's late and I was about to turn in"

"Sorry Peter, this couldn't wait, I have something I want to show you, a acquaintance of mine happened upon a very curious item"

His eyes lit up as the blonde haired man took out his wand and pulled a rectangular looking object, it was wrapped in cloth and there were protrusions at one end. He watched, rapt, as he set it down in the centre of the kitchen, with a flourish he pulled off the cloth, it was a small ornate mirror, it looked like it belonged in a doll's house. A hand on his arm pulled him back against the counter, Barty pointed his wand at the object and chanted under his breath whilst making complex movements with his wand, the mirror grew in size, finally the magic was over and it filled most of the room.

It was just a large mirror, Peter was puzzled and as he looked at the frame he noticed it had an inscription along the top, it read : _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi._ He had no idea what it meant.

"It's a mirror Barty, what's so special about it?

"You are in for a treat my friend, why not take a look in it, stand dead centre and take a long hard look at yourself Pete"

There was a glint in his eye that made him feel uneasy, but he shuffled into position and did as requested. He felt foolish, all he could see was a short, ugly, tired looking, fat man, but that wasn't quite right. He stepped closer to the reflective surface, he definitely looked different, he was taller and thinner, that wasn't even possible. He almost jumped back when his reflection moved independantly of him, his reflective self was twirling his wand with a dexterity Peter could only have dreamed about, the magic he was performing was beyond anything he had ever seen and way beyond anything he had ever achieved.

He tore his eyes away to look at his friend, he just smiled that creepy smile and waggled his fingers in a wave. When his eyes returned to the mirror the scene had changed, he looked different again, and he was joined by a very attractive witch, he didn't recognise her but they were obviously involved. The scene was becoming pornographic, he had to force himself to breathe, his hands darted to his crotch and awkwardly arranged himself in a way he hoped would disguise his arousal.

Moving away took every ounce of strength and will, a sheen of sweat covered his face, Barty was chuckling loudly, but it wasn't malevolant.

"Where did this come from? Are those visions real?"

"It was discovered in a secret room at Hogwarts, my master is looking for support in his cause, I am an emissary Peter, merely a messenger"

"Master? Y-y-y-your with the D-dark Lord?"

Peter withdrew his wand and pointed it shakily at the other man's chest, he held up his hands and took a few steps back.

"It's not what you think Peter, he is unlike anything you could imagine, what you saw in the mirror is a tiny glimpse of what he would offer you, I have seen magic that I can barely comprehend, he is a decendant of Salazar Slytherin himself, he sent me here, he has seen your potential Peter, but if you aren't interested, that's fine"

Barty's bright eyes watched the wand dip slightly, he could almost hear his friend thinking, the wand drooped even further, he took a chance.

"I'm sorry to put you in this position Peter, I'll leave you to your evening"

He took out his wand and picked up the cloth the mirror had been wrapped up in, he was about to raise his wand arm when a hand gripped his wrist tightly.

"No! Don't take it away, can't you leave it here and maybe give me some time to think about things?"

"For you Pete, I think I could do that, you mustn't show it to anyone, do you understand?"

The way his rodent like features lit up at those words made Barty very happy indeed, as he made to leave and said his goodbyes, he could tell he was being ignored, but that was fine, Peter was fixated on the reflection and the more he looked, the more he wanted it. Barty shut the front door, he'd succeeded, he could feel it in his bones, now it was time to report his success to his master. He swept through the rickety gate and disappeared with a faint pop.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N : I have rewritten a huge chunk of this chapter, i think it's a vast improvement. I also think it will give me a better platform from which to launch the next chapter. I can't promise that there will be an update soon, but there will be one, I've not given up. Thanks for all the support thus far_

 **Chapter Three**

Bellatrix woke suddenly, several moments passed before her eyes opened, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling. She stretched languidly and let out a stream of expletives as her body protested. Her use of language brought admonishment from her host, she sat up in one fluid movement, she cracked her neck and spine, this act brought out a few choice words from the black haired man, much to her delight.

Severus knew that the woman did not care for the morning, he had learned this over the course of their friendship, so they exchanged barbs and he suffered her cursing and her foul mood, knowing that when she was ready, she would talk. He watched her as she shook off the night before, she looked around just enough to remind herself where she was and promptly threw herself back and fell asleep.

He left the room and stepped into the dingy kitchen, he made himself some toast and coffee, he stood there lost in thought, he was prepared to do anything to save Lily Potter, it shocked him a little that he reached that conclusion without any hesitation, he would go to Dumbledore and do whatever it took. However, there was only one proviso, he wouldn't sell out Bellatrix, he valued their unique friendship, she was undoubtably volatile, unbelieveably powerful, her reputation was well earned, but underneath that she was devoted to her family. Narcissa was her entire world, her polar opposite, to his knowledge, she was the only person brave enough to stand up to the fierce dark witch. Her baby sister had given birth to Lucius' heir several weeks ago, it surprised him to learn that she was throughly enjoying her role as an Aunt, for someone with such a blatant disregard for life, she was surprisingly good with him, this was all kept behind closed doors, the dark witch had a reputation to uphold.

After their initial meeting, they had merely tolerated each other, she would show up unannounced and treat the place like she owned it. Her constant and almost childlike affinity for handling everything he owned and asking banal questions had tested the very limits of his patience. As time wore on he became used to her, more tolerant and in turn, she dropped the act, she was funny but crude, intelligent and talented in every field of study that interested her.

She was the only person who knew about Lily, he was surprised at the lack of reaction, her views on muggleborns, muggles and blood traitors were well known, she had laughed at that, not the insane cackle that usually emanated from her, but a proper laugh. She knew he was a half-blood raised in the muggle world and without any hint of condecension, explained that in her priviledged pure-blooded world, women were married off to breed and only a male heir had any worth, so when her father sired three daughters, he could barely live with the shame, subsequently they became the outlet for much of her father's rage. Andromeda had run away, Narcissa was the poster child for the perfect pure-blood wife and Bella had become a Death Eater, determined to prove that she was better than any man.

The Dark Lord had taken her from that life, he had seen her potential, her arranged marriage to Rodolphus LeStrange had only cemented her position within the Death Eater ranks. He had quizzed her over her eventual acceptance of this arranged union, he had warned her about Rodolphus and he couldn't imagine her popping out several pure-blood offspring. Before the subject was dropped she declared that she could handle herself and then asked about his life.

He had joined the Death Eater ranks straight out of school, he was liked and respected, closer to the Dark Lord than most, he had a knack for Legilimency, it had given him the edge over everyone. so that day when Bellatrix had shown up at his house at the behest of her sister, he had made sure that she would never have to suffer at the hands of a LeStrange and gained a powerful ally.

He snapped out of this reverie and took a bite of soggy, cold toast and washed it down with a swig of the tepid coffee. He heard his name called, apparently her ladyship was awake and required coffee. He set about the task, pleased that his mind was made up, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted. The conjured tray floated ahead of him as he reached for the door handle, his guest was stood in the corner in front of the mirror, she was taming her hair and fixing her makeup. A slight noise issued from her red lips, the only indication that his presence had been acknowledged, even now it was too much to expect a 'thank you' satisfied that she was looking her best, she strode to the table and poured herself a drink, one, two, three heaped sugars, noticing his raised eyebrows she deigned to comment

"It's the only way to make this foul muggle beverage palatable"

"Then why drink it?" she held the mug in her right hand and tapped her nails sharply against the ceramic

"You said it was like a muggle potion for waking up or staving off tiredness" she glared at him "Have you given any more thought to this fucked up situation?"

"I want to meet with Dumbledore and try and make a deal, you could..."

He could read the warning signs better than anyone, he didn't need Legilimancy, he just held up a placating hand

"I will contact Sirius and make it happen, but I will not make a deal with the light, I don't trust Dumbledore, I am better suited staying where I am, if it all goes to Hell, I might be able to intervene, besides, I need to look out for Narcissa and Draco"

"Do you think me a coward?" she let out a short barking laugh

"No Sev, like most Slytherins, you're in it for yourself, this course of action will benefit you, I know you begged the Dark Lord to spare her so you could claim her as your own" she could feel his shame "This action will hopefully save her, it is sickeningly Gryffindor-esque, are you sure you were correctly sorted?" he smiled weakly and shook his head

"What now?"

"I'll need to go home, then tonight I need to get laid" she ignored the amused look on his face

"Before I forget, I have something for you"

He stood up and left the room, she heard his footsteps climbing the stairs and the floorboards creak as he moved about upstairs, after several minutes he returned. In his hand he held something wrapped in paper, he pulled the article free of its bindings and held it out. It looked like a scrap of black leather, or more accurately, several scraps of leather stitched together in a very crude manner, she had no idea what it was or why on earth he thought it would be something she would want, she tried to marshal her facial expression, which had no doubt expressed puzzlement and disgust in equal measure. Clearly annoyed at her reaction, or lack thereof, he threw it into her lap.

"Just put the bloody thing on you ungrateful harpy"

Now that she had a hold of it and could examine it more closely, she realised that it was just like the corsets she wore, she stood up and deftly fitted the garment around herself, it was a good fit and once the laces had tied it felt like a second skin. She looked over at him and threw her arms out in a gesture that clearly said 'there, I've done it, are you bloody happy now' her eyes grew large as he pointed his wand at her and let loose a slicing hex.

There was no time to draw her own wand and defend, but if she was going to bleed out and die here, she'd damn well use all her remaining strength to take the greasy haired twat with her. She was on him in seconds, the shelves on the wall rattled as he collided with it, her taloned fingers wrapped tightly around his throat.

"Look, no damage" he croaked out

Her fingers loosened just a touch, there was an absence of pain, there was no sensation of hot, sticky blood seeping down through her clothing, she moved a step back from him and looked down, she was completely unharmed.

"Dragon hide, very rare, usually the protection wears away after a few hours, once removed from the dragon, the hide perishes, but this was given freely by one dragon, it's the same with unicorn blood, forcibly taken it carries a hideous curse. I could tell you were unimpressed with it, I thought a practical demonstration was in order"

"Why give it to me?"

"You're welcome Bellatrix" he let out a weary sigh "I would rather you didn't die"

"Thank you" she meant it and withdrew her hand from his throat

Before they could utter another word she hissed in pain, the mark on her arm was burning, Severus was enduring the same discomfort. He inclined his head to her and disapparated, the burning faded, she would always arrive a little bit late, it gave the potions master ammunition to goad her with and she liked to make a grand entrance.

Ten minutes later she was striding though a graveyard, a huge abandoned manor house sat on top of the hill, she assumed that it was all part of the grounds, several of the graves all bore the same name. The villiage was a place called Little Hangleton, beyond that it was an utterly unremarkable place. It was definitely a muggle villiage, which made it a perfect place to hold their meetings. She took out her wand and touched the iron gate, the wards let her through, the large wooden doors parted as she approached and as she stepped into the entrance hall, Rod rushed up to meet her, she smiled, one that she practised just for this occasion, and kissed his cheek, repressing an involuntary shudder, she spoke.

"What's going on? There wasn't supposed to be any meeting"

"You're late Bella, Barty Crouch has something for our Lord, that's all I know"

He led the way, she remained a few respectful steps behind, she gritted her teeth and took a breath, it was just a necessary act. The room had probably been a ballroom at some point, now it contained a huge banquet table, Snape sat on the Dark Lord's left looking incredibly smug, her seat was on his right, then Lucius and Aiden Yaxley. The further away from the head of the table, the lower the rank. Barty Crouch Jr's shock of blonde hair was instantly recognisable, if he had truly pleased her Lord, then he would be moved up the ranks for the next meeting. It wasn't until Severus' warning that she had begun paying attention to the Death Eater hierarchy, her spot was as coveted as he'd implied.

With her head held high she walked the length of the room, despite the sharp click of her heels, her hearing was second to none, Avery and Nott were talking.

"Apparently Crouch has recruited a new member, says he can get to the Potters, I don't like the blonde haired ponce, but if he knocks the psycho bitch off her perch, I'll be the first in line to shake his hand"

"But Rod's alright, and he's married to her, and from what I hear, she's very accomodating, he's a lucky bastard"

The screech that rang through the great hall made everyone except Voldemort flinch, chairs scraped across the floor as their occupants desperately tried to put as much space between them and her as possible. She hopped up onto the table top and off the other side, her black eyes fixed on Avery, Nott didn't have the good grace to look abashed, obviously relieved that he wasn't the centre of her unwanted attentions. A quick look in his direction sent him sprawling to the floor as he tried and failed to slide backwards in his chair, the back of it splintered as he hit the floor and he lay there, groaning in agony.

Avery was out of room, his chair collided with the wall and she was upon him, her hand dragged him up by his throat, and with a display of strength that never failed to surprise all who witnessed it, she lifted him several inches off the ground and there he floundered, gasping for breath as he hung by his neck. With her free hand she fished about in her skirts and withdrew a small dagger, the man stopped struggling as the blade drew level with his eye.

"I didn't quite hear what you said about little me, but it didn't sound very nice" she felt him shudder at her faux baby voice

"I'm sorry Madame LeStrange, it's just gallows humour, I mean we're all on the same side, it's like the Quidditch changing rooms, if you ain't taking the piss out of your team mate for something, you're doing it wrong"

He let out a nervous laugh, she was impressed he had enough breath left to make any noise at all, hope bloomed in his eyes as his feet touched solid ground and he was able to suck in a lungful of air, the dagger was no longer in his eye line. With the look of a man who thought the worst was over, he grinned, some of the cockiness was creeping back in.

"I never meant no disrespect"

The more he rambled on, the deeper he dug himself, she was certain that the idiot had no idea what a double negative was, she was also sure he meant every single word. All eyes in the room were on her, the Dark Lord would have voiced his displeasure by now if he wanted the exchange to cease, and she couldn't let him go without some degree of suffering, damn Severus, she had liked being blissfully ignorant, but now, everyone seemed to be looking for a chink in her armour. She released her hold on his neck, her nails had drawn blood and he would have severe bruising, again, that look of victory, thinking he'd dodged an Avada.

She struck so fast he barely registered anything, he chuckled, that made her tilt her head to one side as she regarded him, like a cat regarded a mouse. He couldn't believe that all he'd had to endure was a few nail marks and a punch to the shoulder, it was laughable, and one escaped his lips, he automatically reached up to touch the spot where the blow landed, calloused, nicotine stained fingers slid across his robes and contacted metal, that wasn't right. He looked down and his mouth opened in a silent scream, blood was spreading outwards, staining his dark robes darker, the dagger had gone right in, less than half the handle was visible. He brought up the arm that wasn't wounded and tried to grasp the protruding handle, he shouted in pain as the movement caused more tearing and pain. Sweat poured off his forehead, he knew it wasn't fatal, but it hurt, and he was pinned to the wall, he didn't want to risk more damage and pain by trying to pull free.

All the while she was stood there, looking at him with a childish curiosity, the look that many of them dreaded and complained about when she was well out of the vicinity. She turned on her heel and marched to her chair, there was some subdued scrambling as a few people moved hastily out of her path. She sat down like royalty and surveyed the chaos, Snape's face was unreadable, Voldemort looked slightly bored with it all.

"How wonderful it is watching you work, Bellatrix, I trust he deserved it"

"Yes, My Lord" she lowered her head in respect

"You two, get him down and fix him up"

Crabbe and Goyle rose to help their comrade, she whispered 'accio dagger' she caught the flying knife and chuckled at the renewed howls of pain. As the group settled back down and she'd removed some of Avery from beneath her nails using the very dagger she'd stabbed him with, the meeting began.

Much to her surprise and annoyance, Crouch had managed to turn a member of the Order of the Phoenix, worse than that, all of the secret keeper oaths had to be redone to accommodate this new development, there was no way she'd be able to pass this on to Sirius, she got the impression that this turn of events was having a similar effect on Severus, Dumbledore would want verifiable intelligence before he considered Snape's defection, hopefully the man had plenty of secrets to impart, for his sake.

Then from one of the antechambers came this shuffling excuse of a man, short, fat and balding, she thought his unregistered animagus form was particularly fitting, he took the mark without any fuss, she had clearly underestimated him. Magical allegiance was a strange thing, now he was one of them he was free to spill Order secrets, he disclosed a few safe house locations, she doubted that would lead to anything, measures would be in place lest anyone found themselves captured. Her boredom was increasing and with it, her irritation, their rodent follower had been saving the best for last, he was the Potter's secret keeper, the room sucked in a breath, even she had sat up to take notice.

The Dark Lord was the closest to joyful as she had ever seen, he was prepared to meet this prophecy full on, Wormtail was to keep up his pretence with the Order, if they were suspicious they would be able to change their protections, he wanted them to feel like the danger had passed, he would strike on Halloween night, the boy would be a few months old, the Potters would have settled into their lives as parents by then, and he liked to mark important kills with ceremony, the selection of All Hallows Eve was tragically cliché, she had surreptitiously rolled her eyes, the dark haired man opposite had noticed, a slight sneer twisted his thin lips.

The meeting was over, everyone knew their role, Yaxley and Malfoy couldn't resist simpering around, prattling on about the Ministry, she rose majestically from her seat and took her leave, she strode purposefully away until a familiar voice called her, she stopped dead, annoyance radiated from her, she arranged her features and turned to her husband, aware that many who remained were watching intently.

"Where are you going my love?"

"Home"

"Good, I'm feeling quite pent up" he stepped close to her and slipped an arm round her slim waist, pulling their bodies flush

"Then what are we waiting for?" she ran her fingers across his cheek and into his hair, she kissed him, this was a very small price to pay for complete freedom.

They parted and he grinned in what he believed to be a roguish manner, to her it sent chunks of ice into her gut, he apparated away and despite Snape trying to catch her eye, she ignored him and vanished with a pop.

He was waiting for her, she clapped her hands and an elf appeared with drinks, she picked up his and placed it in his hand, he knocked it back in one, she finished her own. Taking his hand she led him to their bedroom, by the time they had crossed the threshold his eyes had begun to glaze over, he allowed his fumbling hands to roam across her chest as she guided him to the bed, as the backs of his legs touched the edge of the bed she exerted a small amount of force and he fell backwards, relieved that the potion was fast acting, she straightened her outfit and fled the room.

Severus hadn't told her everything about the potions effects, and after the first time she made sure she wasn't in the house, her husband was very vocal about everything he imagined he was doing to her, it made for a stomach churning experience that she was eager to avoid at all costs.

Back in the relative safety of Spinner's end, she paced restlessly trying to shake off thoughts of her husband, Snape barely batted an eye as she appeared in the middle of his living room and began helping herself to his liquor cabinet. She had sent the owl to Sirius and the meeting would take place in a few days time. He brought her out of her mood by informing her that her cosy chat with Avery had done wonders for her, Rodolphus and Rabastan held a lot of sway with the members and if Rod was happy, his brother was happy, the dream potion made sure he had no complaints about anything, she shuddered slightly as a thought rose unbidden to her mind, and she hoped that he didn't talk about their imagined sex life, looking much happier than she was comfortable with, her companion assured her that he wouldn't be able to, his recollections would be vague, most would think he was just unwilling to share details. They had a few drinks and talked about the meeting, he had nothing to add about Peter Pettigrew's induction to the Death Eater ranks, although she noticed a dark look in his eyes when he was mentioned.

"Right, I'm off, see you later Sev"

"Where are you going?"

"I told you earlier, I'm a woman, and I have needs, no, I don't want one of your bloody potions, I need something more physical" she made an obscene gesture with her hands and cackled, he just shook his head

"You can't go around screwing and obliviating wizards, that would only end in disaster"

"Don't worry about me, I have my ways, so stop fretting"

After a few minor adjustments to her clothing and make up she was ready to go, her hair had been tamed just a little, the neckline of her dress now plunged, and at the back, and the skirt was more fitted with a split up the thigh.

"What do you think?"

"You're not my type, so I couldn't comment" he groused

"Don't be such a buzz kill"

With that she waved and vanished, she reappeared in London, she had made Sirius teach her all about muggle money, she had a feeling Severus knew how she got her kicks but he played dumb, he was right, she was too well known in their own world, but she enjoyed fucking as much as the next witch. She checked inside her cleavage and pulled out a small pouch, she had about sixty pounds, more than enough for a night out, a few drinks, muggles were pretty inventive when it came to alcohol, and if she didn't pull, she could always get wasted.

Sirius had also recommended SoHo as a good place to party, she walked the streets passing effortlessly through the revellers, she attracted the stares of both men and women. She sauntered past a club and a huge man mountain in a black suit called out to her. She walked over, she smiled in all the right places as he attempted to chat her up, eventually she got the desired result, the velvet rope was lifted and she was admitted as a V.I.P.

A few bitchy comments reached her ears from the jealous girls lining up outside, she chuckled darkly to herself and passed through the double doors into the heat and thronging mass of gyrating bodies. She gravitated to the bar and was served immediately, the boy behind the counter didn't look old enough to be serving drinks, despite having to shout at each other to be heard, she made her order and he seemed unable to lift his eyes from her chest, producing a twenty pound note from her ample cleavage almost finished the boy off, he refused to take it, on the house he said, she had a suspicion he'd pay for it after she went and made a show of returning the money to the inside of her dress.

Now that she had a drink in hand she could survey the talent, or what passed for talent in these parts, she sauntered over to one of the support pillars and leaned against it. The music was pounding, she could feel the vibrations through her body, the alcohol was beginning to ignite in her veins, in the strobing light suffused with reds, greens and blues, strangers danced, danced, she scoffed at the term, she used to dance as a girl, this was fucking in clothes.

A few guys had caught her eye, none seemed brave enough to approach, she was growing frustrated, after a few more drinks she decided to take matters into her own hands, she moved round the room looking for prey.

This was how all her nights out started, there was something about these places, the music, the drinks, the mass of undulating, sweaty bodies, it was raw and primal.

Some nights she was content to just drift between clubs, the music changed and each place had it's own atmosphere and energy. She loved Camden, the market and the people spoke to her on many levels, they dressed more bizarrely than even the more eccentric wizards and witches. It was here that she stumbled upon a small jewellery stall, amongst the gaudy bangles and earrings sat a silver bird skull on a length of braided leather and she just had to buy it.

Being immersed in this world, the alternative culture, the music, the clothes and the food, she could understand why Sirius loved it so much. Soon she had several favourite haunts of her own, boutiques that stocked the right clothes and boots, places to eat, places to dance and drink, she apparated here whenever she could, especially when Rod was feeling in the mood.

Her favourite club had been discovered by accident, it was a particularly busy night, the streets were awash with muggles. A pretty young thing had thrust a flyer into her hand and pointed towards the entrance. After the third visit, there was no need to queue any more, the bouncers knew her, the staff knew her, but the crowd was never the same and that made everything easier.

Most of the conquests were uncomplicated pleasures, she was, after all, a hot blooded woman, it wasn't the life she'd have chosen but she wasn't going to wallow and where possible, would enjoy the life she had to the full, there was no guarantee how long it would last.

It wasn't always plain sailing, she'd picked up a guy, they'd stumbled back to his place drunk, and been caught in the act by his girlfriend, she didn't even bother to cover herself up, magic solved most problems, as it turned out, it wouldn't be the only time things got awkward and when it did, the temptation to just walk away and leave the human wreckage far behind was an enticing prospect, but that wasn't how she liked to get her kicks, instead she modified the mind of her victims, just enough so those involved would have a nagging sense that something was amiss. Somewhere down the line, should the chosen man embark upon a relationship, he wouldn't be able to get the same level of satisfaction from another woman, this would inevitably ruin the union and then, Bellatrix hoped, they'd be as miserable as she felt most of the time.

In a way she envied Severus, reluctantly she had to also include Andromeda, she often wondered what it would be like to have something like they had, bloody alcohol always made her melancholy and introspective, there was no way she was going to go home, calling up the image of Snape's house, the dark witch turned on the spot and apparated into the living room with a loud crack, not caring if she woke him.

Having retrieved a bottle of Firewhiskey from the cabinet she collapsed in a heap on the sofa, a little wand work made it more accommodating for when she eventually passed out. She uttered a few choice swear words, aimed at herself for forgetting to pick up a glass, fuck it, she'd just drink from the bottle.

The next morning when Severus awoke and went to his living room, that was how he found her, one arm hung limply, the empty bottle resting against slack fingers, he couldn't see her face, covered as it was with her thick black curls, she was snoring loudly and she wasn't what he'd describe as decent, huffing in annoyance he shot a chilling hex at her, it was only for a few seconds but the effect was epic, after the shock and fall from the sofa came the screaming and the swearing.

He chuckled at her predicament, crossed the room and opened a small case, he selected two vials and returned to the woman's side, still doing a fantastic imitation of a banshee. The potions were snatched from his grasp and knocked back.

"You are a fucking dead man, couldn't you see I was feeling delicate"

"I saw more of you than I have ever wished and you were snoring like a troll, good night?"

"Something like that, what did I just drink?"

"The usual, hangover cure, morning after potion, the first is a special brew, it contains a calming draught" his dark eyes twinkled with amusement, she just stuck out her tongue and with absolutely zero grace, picked herself up and sat back down.

"I won't be doing that again for a long while"

"You said that last time"

"I have a feeling that opportunities for pleasure will soon be few and far between"

"You could be right, I'll make us some breakfast"

 _He swept from the room and left her to her thoughts. All they could do now was wait, Snape would meet with Dumbledore, she would need to try and arrange another meeting with Sirius, not that it would do much good. October was about two months away, the Dark Lord would make his move, the Order would retaliate and then all bets were off._


	4. Chapter 4

__A/N : Hello, hopefully some people are still interested enough to read this. I recommend re reading as I have made a few changes to earlier chapters, chapter 3 in particular.__

 _ _Those of you who read and are eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Bad Timing, it is coming, I've just been addressing many many issues that story has :o)__

 _ _I won't take it down, it will continue and eventually I'll post the reworked chapters, I'll try and make it awesome, so until then, please enjoy this chapter.__

 _ _Thanks for your time.__

 _ **Chapter Four**_

 _Peter Pettigrew had been understandably horrified at the thought of meeting the Dark Lord, the mirror, that wonderful magical artefact, had shown him the path, and Barty Jr was a constant ear worm. Eventually, egged on by his friend's honeyed words, he was ready to take the plunge. The mirror hadn't lied to him thus far, and it was that thought that gave him the courage he never knew he possessed._

 _Barty had collected him and moments later they stood in a dilapidated muggle graveyard, with gothic stylings. A huge manor house stood on the crest of a low hill and Barty thrust his hands deep in the pockets of his robes and strode off purposefully, whistling tunelessy. By the time they had reached the door, Peter was short of breath and sweating, Barty looked fresh faced. He smiled at his ratty looking companion, took out his wand and tapped on the huge doors, they opened soundlessly._

 _The house had no doubt been grand in its day, but now damp, years of neglect and nature had taken their toll. The floorboards creaked and squelched as they walked the hallways, Barty threw open a set of sturdy doors and he balked at the scene, the Dark Lord sat on a throne like chair with an enormous snake draped about his shoulders, The entire Ministry's most wanted list was sitting around a huge table like a perverse facsimilie of Christ's last supper._

 _He jumped at the sound of Barty's voice as he greeted the Dark Lord and presented his guest, chairs scraped the floor as many sat up to take notice. A firm hand pressed into his back as he was urged up to the head of the table. The huge snake roused itself enough to lazily flick his tongue at the newcomer before settling back down._

 _A jab in the ribs from Barty sharpened his mind and he bowed clumsily, there were a few titters from the Death Eaters. Crouch and Voldemort spoke in whispers, the pale face of their leader smiled and he looked at Peter with much interest. There was no denying that there was an immense power here, a beguiling charisma and if half the rumours were true, an unforgiving cruelty._

 _The first question from the Dark Lord wasn't unexpected, but it was like a slap to his senses, it roused him from the fog of fear, could he deliver the Potters to him? Yes, but he didn't know for what end. As his nerves began to settle, the Dark Lord told the room about the new developments and how his victory was all but assured. Too long had they been forced to hide while muggles spread like an unstoppable plague, his belief that as a direct consequence of this overpopulation, they were forgetting themselves, losing their power, dying out. He promised to end their decline, had they not already felt a boost to their inherent magical ability since they joined his cause, he promised change and with a conviction that left no doubt that he could deliver, the cost was just three lives, and he made the price seem so very small._

 _Peter timidly offered his arm and gritted his teeth hard as the skull and snake burned onto his flesh, tears filled his eyes and spilled onto his fat cheeks. The moment was ultimately ruined by the arrival of Bellatrix, she sauntered into the room and then all hell broke loose. He made a mental note to avoid that woman at all costs and try even harder to never slight her in any way, he doubted there was a Death Eater brave enough to speak out of turn again after that display._

 _Back home, he was frequently visited by Barty, he had no need for the mirror any more, he was to look after it though, a request from the Dark Lord. His new friends taught him incredible magic, even more impressive was his ability to perform it, his magic had gone from mediocre to great and he felt it getting better with each new spell and training session. He was never going to be fit, but his unregistered animagus form would be perfect for fleeing. The spells were geared to his strengths, it turned out that as most would underestimate him, he would have the upper hand if he kept his wits about him._

 _Sirius stared at himself in the mirror, he was still handsome but the stress was getting to him, a more prominent wrinkle here, a grey hair there, his eyes looked tired. Recruiting for the Order had pretty much flat lined, fear was a powerful tool, unfortunately, not one they possessed. Peter had fallen off the map, James wasn't worried, keeping a low profile wasn't a bad thing. Dumbledore had suggested it as a viable option, after all, who wouldn't believe that the perceived coward had just bottled it and chosen to hide away. It may even be what they need, he knew that he was the obvious choice, the target, he had made plenty of waves, nothing that he felt would have hindered the enemy on a grand scale, but enough to be a royal pain in their arse._

 _That made him think of Bellatrix, he hadn't heard anything significant off her for a long time, this wasn't unusual, but something was about to happen, he could feel it in his gut, he just hoped that she would be able to make contact with him soon, and if she had news, well, he prayed that there would be enough time to do something about it._

 _Complete inaction didn't sit well with him, James and Lily were busy being parents, some of the greatest witches and wizards were keeping them safe, yet he couldn't shake the feeling of dread. He wandered through his parents house with a morose expression on his face, the foul mood simmering below the surface came to the fore and he lashed out at his family's hideous house elf, the creature was constantly muttering pure-blood dogma and it was enough to drive anyone crazy._

 _His thoughts turned to Remus, James was easily his best friend, they had known each other the longest, but Remus was right up there. Dumbledore was being irritatingly vague about his whereabouts. Alastor Moody eventually took pity on him and he learned that he was out amongst the Werewolves. The headmaster was exceptional when it came to putting everyone in harms way and making it sound as simple as walking down the road. He laughed bitterly, Remus wouldn't stand a chance against Fenrir Greyback, yet everyone trusted his manipulations, as hot headed as he was prone to be, he had no desire to confront the old wizard, he hoped it was just worry, tiredness and the all consuming feeling of uselessness he was suffering with._

 _Thinking about Harry seemed to keep him calm and centred his whirling thoughts, he found it hard to believe that anyone could see a child as a threat worthy of eliminating. He was truly honoured to be his godfather, he had gotten a bit carried away and bought the tiny lad a miniature broomstick. James had loved it, but Lily didn't think it was a good idea, it was perfectly safe, anti fall charms kept him sat as snug as any child's chair, while Lily had been making dinner, they had set him loose, James took pictures, it was a memory he would treasure._

 _He removed a sheet of parchment from his breast pocket and carefully unfolded it, the letter contained a picture, he watched as the black haired baby whizzed in and out of the picture while James laughed and smiled. Now that the prophecy had allegedly been confirmed he seemed the only person concerned with the safety of the Longbottoms, Minerva had been on his side initially but even Alice and Frank didn't think they were at any greater risk than any other Order member._

 _He was finding sleep an elusive mistress of late, October had brought the first signs of a harsh winter to come. His breath hung in clouds as he stood outside smoking, a simple warming charm kept him comfortable. On nights when he was restless he would walk to a set of unremarkable garages and unlock the creaking sheet metal doors. Shouldering them open as their hinges squealed in protest, revealed his pride and joy, covered in a thick cover._

 _The motorbike was huge, suspension springs creaked a little as he sat in the seat, having located the key he took the weight of the bike, kicked back the stand and fired up the engine, it rumbled into life and a twist of the throttle made it roar. London was at her best at night, that's what he thought, cruising through the deserted capital on a black and chrome hog was a bigger buzz than anything he'd experienced so far, and just owning the machine pissed off pretty much everyone he knew._

 _Sometimes he'd go to a bar, mostly he'd just ride until the first light of dawn, there were women, but the bike was more fun and more reliable than a woman, he said that often, James would smile and shake his head, Lily would admonish him and roll her eyes, the rest of the Order, well, they were happier staying out of it, Dumbledore had tried to intervene but Sirius painted him a picture of alternative scenarios for him letting off steam, and the matter was dropped, the bike, it seemed, was the lesser of many evils._

 _Voldemort stood looking out of the bay window of the Riddle house. A weak light filtered through the trees and bushes, the cottage still housed the old groundsman, but the enchantments kept him away, he would occasionally watch him tending the graves and garden, age was slowing him but he kept at it. He decided early on that killing him would only cause unwanted attention from whatever the muggles had for Aurors, so he let him be._

 _A rapturous joy filled every sense, his magic simmered beneath the surface, such power. It was almost time, this was his night, a flick of his bone white wand and the window took on a mirror sheen. Despite his magical experiments he held onto his looks, his pupils were red and his skin pale, but other than that he stood tall and slim, his hair was slicked back. Thus far he had created 6 Horcruxes, and tonight he would defeat death once and for all._

 _He summoned a thick, black cloak, he pulled up the deep hood and disappeared with a pop. Godric's Hollow was a truly beautiful and magical town, but tonight he wouldn't have time to admire it, he glanced up briefly at the church and set off walking with deadly purpose. It didn't take long to locate the Potter residence, the wards put up no resistance, the door opened at the simplest spell, it was pathetic. The black haired man rose from his seat, wandless, he shouted a warning at the top of his voice, Avada cut him down along with the sound._

 _His victory was so near, he slowly climbed the stairs, only one door was closed, it opened without resistance. The child gurgled, his mother shielding him from view, the fear on her face evident but her voice remained steady and strong. She pleaded for him to spare her son, offered her life willingly, it was all too easy, the light left her eyes as she thudded onto the carpet._

 _He moved her body out of necessity and without care, the boy just looked at him, not afraid, curious perhaps, too young to comprehend. He pulled himself up onto his chubby legs and peered over the top of the cot, arms reaching out towards this interesting new stranger. Voldemort had wasted enough time, Aurors would no doubt be on their way soon, he had performed the rite that would complete his seventh and final Horcrux, all that remained was the act. Avada Kedavra..._

 _Bellatrix was sitting alone, she despised inaction, and other than placing a small golden goblet, marked with the Hogwarts crest, within her family vault, she hadn't had anything to do. They were all aware of the Dark Lord's plans, and the instructions had been clear, do nothing and await his triumphant return. For the umpteenth time she pulled back the sleeve of her dress, the dark mark was starting to fade right before her eyes, she didn't know what it meant but it couldn't be good._

 _Peter Pettigrew stared glumly at the clock, the deed should have been done by now, still he couldn't shake a feeling of unease. With a shaking hand he pulled the dust cloth off the Mirror of Erised, he recoiled in horror as he watched his 3 friends coming for him, he knew that James was dead, how could anyone survive against a wizard as powerful as Voldemort. He fled the room and didn't stop until he was outside in the freezing cold._

 _He had to see things for himself and after drawing several deep, shuddering breaths, he felt ready for apparition. Peter scurried through Godric's Hollow making sure he kept to the shadows, the Potter residence wasn't far. Nothing prepared him for the sight before him, the house was a ruin, frantically he scrabbled through the rubble, he balked at the sight of James' corpse and tasted bile. The stairs creaked ominously as he climbed, he slowly walked towards the bedroom, no, the nursery, tears stung his eyes, through the blur he could see that it was missing the wall and roof. The cot was intact, Harry was inside it, he looked still, a clatter drew his attention away and to the floor, Voldemort's wand. It felt warm in his hand, it felt just like a wand, he was almost disappointed at the ordinariness of it. A noise drifted up from the street below, he was no longer alone and he could be found here, he stashed the wand along with his own, where once stood a man, there was a rat with beady black eyes, it surveyed the rubble and darted away into the night._

 _Severus Snape had poured his soul out to Albus Dumbledore, he was grateful that the great wizard had even bothered to turn up, he had begged for his help and promised everything he could. The news of events at Godric's Hollow had reached him quickly, his rationality left him and he'd gone there right away, he thought nothing of the potential Auror presence, he hadn't even bothered to conceal himself._

 _Through his grief he was surprised the house was still standing, he tripped on the rubble and was sent crashing onto the floor, with dust coating his clothes and face, he pulled himself up the stairs, he went room to room until he found the right one. He wailed loudly in anguish at the state of Lily's body, he dug away the bricks, not caring that his hands were bloody and coated with dust. He cleaned the dirt and blood from her face, healed the cuts caused by falling masonry and collapsed on the floor next to her. Clumsily he pulled her limp body to his chest and held her, he cried and cursed until worn out, then he just sobbed noiselessly, this was how Bellatrix found him._

 _"Sev?" there was no response, she wasn't completely heartless, but his fascination with Lily Potter was not healthy, but she was hardly in a position to dispense advice about what constituted a healthy relationship. She had always lived on instinct and they were telling her to leave the stupid bastard and get as far away as possible. There was the small matter of the Aurors turning up at any minute, he didn't seem at all bothered, although, why weren't they already here? It unsettled her more than anything, the Order must know by now, Dumbledore would know. There was no time to worry about that now. She tried to coerce Severus into action, she threated and swore, finally she stunned him, levitated his body and apparated them back to Spinner's End._

 _Sirius was pacing, he found himself doing this a lot lately, he couldn't stand idle any longer. He rode the bike onto the main road and darted down a deserted side road, he gunned the throttle and the bike left the ground and soared over the rooftops. As he came into land he couldn't believe the damage that the Potter's house had incurred, he felt tears stinging his eyes. The familiar figure of Hagrid stood in his path with a giant hand shielding his eyes from the glare of the headlight, quickly he killed the engine._

 _In the crook of the half giant's other arm was a tiny bundle and he knew that it was his godson, grief was in control and he argued heatedly that Harry should be in his care. Hagrid stood firm, orders from Dumbledore. He knew that it was pointless trying to reason with the huge man, and no Death Eater would think of looking for him with a muggle family. Also he had a feeling that soon he wouldn't be in a position to look after a small child. His last act before leaving Godric's Hollow was to gift Hagrid his bike, he wouldn't be needing it._

 _Throwing caution to the wind he sent a message to Bella, it was risky, but he kept it vaque, she'd know the meaning. For a brief time he would be free of this all encompassing pain, as a huge black dog things became a lot simpler, he sniffed the air then tore off through the night. The buzz of the flourescent tube lights made his head ache, he rubbed his eyes hard, they felt gritty and sore. In their youth they used to hang out in the rougher parts of London, this greasy spoon cafe had become a popular haunt. He heard her before he saw her, and despite being confronted by a smiling blonde, he knew who she was, she looked completely incongruous, whereas he knew he looked like he'd been sleeping in his clothes for weeks._

 _"Bella, thank fuck you came, do you have any idea what's going on?"_

 _"The Dark Lord is gone"_

 _"What do you mean gone?"_

 _"There is no trace of him, and look"_

 _She rolled back her sleeve, the dark mark sat ugly on her pale skin, but was completely unmoving and faded._

 _"Dead?"_

 _"I don't know"_

 _"Listen Bella, I have something I need to do, a feeling, I don't think it will end well for me, I need you to keep the Longbottom boy safe, do whatever is needed"_

 _"I don't understand, why would he matter? the Dark Lord chose"_

 _"I can't explain, please do this for me"_

 _Her mouth was set in a grim line but eventually she nodded and he let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. He hugged her briefly and then stepped back, he dispelled her glamour so he could see her before he left, she huffed and rolled her eyes, he could tell that she thought him to be a sentimental old fool, but they were close and they were family. Padfoot emerged once more into the chilly night and set off again with purpose._

 _Albus Dumbledore was feeling every year of his considerable old age, he had never felt so drained, he had an inkling of how Halloween night would unfold, so many schemes in place, it was hard keeping track. He had sent Minerva to Little Whingeing and Hagrid to retrieve the Potter's child from Godric's Hollow, reliable sources had confirmed Harry's survival, that was something at least._

 _Sirius was not in Grimmauld Place, and Kreacher, the house elf, was delightfully unhelpful. Peter Pettigrew's house was also deserted, he wandered from room to room until he happened upon the mirror. It was an artefact he had heard about, people had wasted away in front of it, but he knew it contained neither wisdom or truth, so many pieces of the puzzle clicked into place seeing it here. He covered it with a cloth and shrunk it down before stashing it in the depths of his robes._

 _He walked through the house once more, it was more to occupy his busy mind than a quest for clues, there was no sign of a struggle, nothing was broken or out of place. He sat down at the kitchen table to rest, tiredness seemed to weigh heavily on him of late, and this was how Sirius found him._

 _The rage that had initially fuelled his flight had ebbed, he didn't have any leads, this fact took him to the Pettigrew family home. He crossed the threshold with his wand drawn._

 _"Albus? What are you doing here? You're lucky I didn't hex you" yet he made no hurry to lower his wand_

 _"Revenge won't solve anything Sirius, you'll end up dying in Azkaban, or worse"_

 _He let out a derisive snort, pocketed his wand and sat down next to the old wizard. They sat there in silence for what felt like hours before Dumbledore began to speak._

 _"War always brings death and suffering, and this was a war. I manipulated the outcome of the prophecy for my own ends. I know Tom Riddle and I forced his hand, it had to be Harry, I couldn't risk Voldemort's pure blood obsession get in the way of what the prophecy needed. He probably wouldn't have killed the Longbottoms, as they are an old wizarding family with a long history. The loss of Lily and James is a tragedy, but Harry will have a vested interest in destroying the dark arts, mark my words Sirius, Lord Voldemort will return"_

 _"Finding out that Lily and James were betrayed was difficult to accept, now you're telling me that they died so that you would be able to mould their son into a weapon" Sirius was on his feet pacing as he shouted "Be grateful I don't just end you right here, you selfish, meddling old bastard, I'm going to find Peter and I will make him pay, the deaths you have caused, well you will have to live with it"_

 _"I interpreted the prophecy and gave events a nudge"_

 _"Fuck the prophecy, these are peoples lives, you are out of your mind old man, I'm guessing you kept all this to yourself, why are you telling me?"_

 _Sirius drew his wand and pointed it right at the Headmaster's face, his face looked sunken and his blue eyes had none of their usual sparkle._

 _"Minerva was against it"_

 _"I bet she was, and you still went and did it anyway, Divination is no basis for condemning innocents to death"_

 _"True, but people will rally to a cause where prophecy and destiny have chosen a champion"_

 _"Harry will be that champion?"_

 _"That is my hope, you are quick to criticise prophecy when you seem bent on following your own"_

 _"Hardly, but we all have to go sometime"_

 _"If you kill Peter there will be nothing that can protect you"_

 _"I couldn't give less of a shit!"_

 _"Is your dear cousin aware of your suicidal plan?"_

 _"Leave Bella out of this"_

 _"I can't help but feel that your faith in her is misplaced"_

 _Dumbledore flinched as the chair next to him exploded into splinters, feeling slightly better after channeling his anger,_

 _"Yet that didn't seem to bother you when she was spying for us, she will do what needs to be done when the time comes"_

 _They stared at each other, when Dumbledore looked away Sirius left without another word._

 _The cold wind cut to the bone and he drew his robes tight around him, it was like a slap to the face, he felt less lethargic, all he had to do was track down his old friend, and from experience he knew this would be no small feat._

 _Bellatrix had serious reservations about willingly walking into the home of two prolific Aurors, and active members of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. Sirius wouldn't have asked her to do something that risky without good reason, she would just have to think on it for a bit. With no clear course of action she apparated into the grounds of Malfoy Manor, and walked into the beginning of a violent showdown between her husband, brother-in-laws and Barty Crouch Jr. Her sister and Snape were lurking in the corner, they merely acknowledged her arrival with a look. The gist of the argument seemed to be whether or not the Dark Lord had indeed been vanquished, Lucius was of the opinion that they should do everything they could to maintain a respectable front within the magical community, this was being hotly contested by the others as an act of treachery, as bad as renouncing their very beliefs._

 _She was already bored with this petty bickering and crossed the room to pour herself a strong drink, Narcissa was showing visible signs of strain, whereas Snape had retreated behind his mask of indifference, but Bella knew that he was far from fine._

 _She lent half an ear to the bickering, Lucius had a point, they wouldn't be of use to anyone if they had to spend the rest of their lives in Azkaban, and that was providing they avoided the Dementor's kiss. Barty, it seemed, was hell bent on going out in a blaze of glory, and her idiot husband was all for joining him, therefore Rabastan was also on board._

 _Lucius' supercilious tone was enough to make her grip her drink tighter, it grated on every nerve, but again he took the route of logic, his mistake was asking what exactly the great plan entailed and not hiding his smug satisfaction upon learning that they didn't have one. Secretly she was with Barty, if they all died she would be free, Sirius and Snape would help keep her out of prison, of that she was certain._

 _To his credit, Lucius managed to buy himself time, more surprising was her husband's agreement to postpone any rash action for at least a month, giving them time to search for signs of the Dark Lord and to allow things to settle down, several Death Eaters had their cover intact within the Ministry, this gave them the best chance. Barty agreed, once the month was out, he made it crystal clear that he would leave no stone unturned, he reckoned the kidnap and torture of key aurors would get him the information he desired, Malfoy's lips were drawn tight and he looked paler than usual, but he agreed, they shook on it, then Barty left._

 _A month was more than she could have hoped for, she might be able to schedule a meeting with Sirius, it made sense that amidst all the chaos the oath of secrecy would be broken, then perhaps they could formulate a plan. Unfortunately, just over two weeks later, a glance at the front page of the Daily Prophet would ensure that avenue would be permenantly shut to her, Sirius Black had just been arrested for mass murder._

 _Sirius had spent a solid week searching for any sign of his old friend, being a dog allowed him to commune with some animals. Magical familiars were the easiest targets, the few cats that allowed him near had no news about any changes to the rat population. On several occasions, this seemingly impossible task would weigh on him with such ferocity that he could only function in his animal form._

 _Mostly he managed to keep his inquiries tightly under wraps, he didn't want his prey to realise that he was being hunted. He had checked in at Ollivander's to see if there was a way he could be tracked by his wand, the ancient craftsman tried to help and Sirius humoured him bt listening to tales of wandlore that dragged on for what seemed like hours. His sources in the Ministry assured him that he was still in Britain, this gave him renewed hope._

 _The trail was stone cold, sleeplessness and a slight alcohol dependancy had been the cause of his first real slip up. The goblins refused to reveal any information about whether or not the rat bastard had been in to visit his vault, he had grown angry, that quickly turned abusive, subsequently he was thrown out into the street._

 _As the second week of fruitless searching drew to an end, Sirius received an owl, it was a list of addresses, no signature, no accompanying note. Several he recognised, they were flats above the shops that lined Knockturn alley, one was underlined, he knew the shop well, Borgin and Burke's magical miscellany, purveyors of questionable artifacts and stolen goods, he himself had bought some very useful things from there. This turn of events made him uneasy, for starters he had no idea who his mysterious helper was, or whether they were really trying to help or do him some harm._

 _There was little point in waiting, Sirius was impetuous and with a slight alteration to the path laid out before him, he could minimise the risk, instead of going to the shop, he would pay a visit to the owner first._

 _For a man who profited from other people's misfortune, Borgin's private residence was severely lacking in security. With his footsteps muffled and eyes well adjusted to the dark, Sirius made his way upstairs. Havelock Borgin was fast asleep when the aguamenti spell hit him full in the face, he sat up spluttering and cursing. Rough hands dragged him across the room and threw him into a chair, cords bound his arms and legs tight._

 _He tried to wriggle free but his bonds just tightened, he tried to shout for help but his voice came out at a conversational volume. All of the lights in the room flared into life, unnaturally bright, unable to shield his eyes from the glare, he shut them as firmly as he could. Footsteps moved around the room, another chair was dragged into position and it creaked as his assailant took a seat, by degrees his sight returned, he opened his eyes to face his attacker, needless to say he was surprised._

 _"You, You're Walburga Black's boy, what is the meaning of this?"_

 _Sirius sat and stared him down._

 _"I've done you no harm lad, gave you a fair price on several specialty items, this is all just a misunderstanding"_

 _Borgin was fast to turn on his oily charm, Sirius let out a mirthless bark of laughter, the mask that the shopkeeper had put on so efficiently, slipped a little._

 _"Who is renting that grotty apartment above the shop?"_

 _"What?!"_

 _"You heard me"_

 _The realisation that he wasn't the true target had a profound effect on Borgin, he let out a sigh of relief and even managed a smile._

 _"What's it worth? I mean, I'm a respected businessman, confidentiality is very important in my line of work, I can't just go giving away the details of my business associates"_

 _"You're a mercenary bastard Havelock, you'd sell your mother if the price was right, tell me what I want to know and you get to live"_

 _The smile on Borgin's face increased, he seemed confident that it was a bluff, he was wrong, each breath became harder to draw, it was like being slowly crushed, he hadn't even noticed the spell being cast, panic took hold and the room began to fade to black, he felt his lips move and then sweet, cool air filled his lungs._

 _Once the coughing had subsided and the tears streaming from his eyes had stopped enough so he could refocus on the young man before him, he was ready to speak. The mysterious lodger hadn't given his proper name, he had paid Borgin an exorbitant amount for the room and anonymity, but the description could only have been Peter, finally, the traitor was within reach._

 _In case Borgin had any silly ideas, like tipping his lodger off, Sirius adjusted the bonds and after assuring the man that he'd be free within twenty four hours, lay himself down on his prisoner's bed. Sleep came easy, and when he woke up he felt sharper and refreshed. Before he left, he allowed Borgin food and the use of the facilities._

 _Peter Pettigrew had no plan, his nerves were completely shot, he had developed an annoying tic on one side of his face from the stress, jumped at the slightest noise and barely slept. Rudimentary potions kept him functioning and he could still manage to eat well enough. He had left his room and browsed the shelves, this was a ritual, the shop, despite its sizable collection of dark magical artefacts, managed a good trade even in the current climate._

 _He supposed he did it on the off chance there was something that could aid his escape, there was no one he could rely on, nowhere to go, he was a coward but his survival instinct was fierce. The ornate fireplace suddenly roared into life covering the drab interior with an emerald glow. He had jumped, as he always did, even though he had been anticipating the arrival of the owner. When Sirius Black extricated himself from the flames he was rooted to the spot, barely able to let out even the smallest whimper._

 _His old friend was as stunned as he was, they stood and stared, each wearing a look of complete dumbfoundment. A small glass vial, disturbed by Peter just a moment ago, rolled to the edge of the shelf, teetered on the edge and fell._

 _The smash was loud in the utter silence, it snapped him out of his immobile state, he shoved the entire shelf over and bolted for it._

 _Sirius only managed to react once the shelving unit had hit the floor, he scambled clumsily over the wreckage and tore after his quarry. The fat lump wasn't built for sprinting but he had a head start and knew the layout of the shop. He stopped at a junction and just caught a blur of movement to his right, this pursuit would end in his favour but he wasn't exactly in tip top shape either. Ahead lay a door marked as an emergency exit, he barrelled through it into nothingness, with a pull reminiscent of a portkey he found himself disorientated and standing on a crowded muggle street._

 _Shouts from a few muggles drew his attention, it appeared little Peter was barging his way through the crowd._

 _Sweat poured down Pettigrew's spine, it was fear and adrenaline that drove him on, but fatigue was winning. The crowd thinned and he slowed, there was nowhere he could hide, an idea popped into his head, he drew his wand and waited. When Sirius' eyes met his, the usually friendly brown eyes of his long term companion shone in triumph._

 _When he shouted out in anguish, Sirius' expression changed instantly, in front of muggle witnesses he blamed his pursuer for the murder of James and Lily, he had seconds to act before his old friend struck him down._

 _The first spell blasted the street apart, car alarms screamed, glass shattered, pipes burst, muggles fell bleeding, some may have died, he didn't know or care. The second spell severed his finger, he bit his lip and ground his teeth at the pain, blood dripped into the dust. As a rat, he dived into the burst sewer pipe and disappeared._

 _A piece of flying debris had cut Sirius above his left eye, his wand was held loosely in his hands and his arms hung limp at his sides. His ears were ringing badly and it was after a time that he recognised the strange noise as his own laughter._

 _The Aurors and Magical Law Enforcement had arrived, muggles' memories were being modified, the dead and wounded cared for, and several hit wizards had their wands trained on him. A portly man stepped away from a huddle of other wizards, he recognised the name, Fudge, Dumbledore had mentioned him._

 _He didn't put up any resistance, he didn't acknowledge them at all, he was under arrest for murder, the death of three of his closest friends and countless muggles. Laughing still, the Aurors seemed reluctant to approach, the stunning spell that hit him square in the chest soon fixed that._


End file.
